Making any significant move is stressful enough, but when you include actual live things like pets and plants, the stress of moving becomes even more difficult to manage. Have you thought about how to care for your plant buddies while moving? You may already be planning on how to keep pets content during the move.
Here are some excellent tips for keeping your plants happy and healthy on the lengthy journey to a new home.
Plant preparation. Remove all dead leaves and branches from your plants a few weeks before the relocation, and give them a good pruning. Dust, vermin, and weeds should be removed one week prior to your move.
Pot again in plastic. Take plants out of their heavy pots and planters a few weeks before your move and give them new homes in lightweight plastic pots to make transporting plants easier on your body.
Keep an eye on the weather. Transporting plants in a temperature-controlled space, such as your automobile, is preferable. Bring your plants inside with you if you spend the night at a motel (this is especially important if the weather is unusually warm or cold).
Provide the correct amount of water to them. Plants do not like the mix of cold and wet or hot and dry. Plants have a difficult time remaining comfortable, even in an air-conditioned vehicle. Water plants thoroughly on moving day and during your trip if you are moving in the summer. If you’re traveling in the winter, water your plants one last time a few days before you leave to keep the soil dry.
learn the law. Check with customs if you’re relocating to a new country to be sure you can bring your plants with you; some nations won’t permit particular species over their borders. Moving across states necessitates some planning as well; due to pest control measures and regional restrictions on growing specific plants, the US Department of Agriculture mandates inspections of plant materials crossing some state lines. Although California is known for being particularly stringent with its botanical visitors, other states also inspect plants upon arrival (a chart is available on this page).
Avoid depending on relocation companies. Many moving firms decline to carry plants with the rest of your household due to the aforementioned laws as well as potential liabilities. Be careful, too, because packing up your plants and having the movers transport them unwittingly could breach your agreement with them and void any insurance you may have for damage to your other equipment during the move.
Post them. You can mail plants ahead of you, but there is undoubtedly a risk to their health. Plants should be removed from their containers, with the roots pruned and the root ball wrapped in a moist cloth and then plastic. Put the entire plant in a strong, new box and secure it with lots of newspaper and bubble wrap (seriouslyfill every space in the box and lock that thing down). Send the box on its way with plenty of “Fragile,” “Live Plant,” and “This End Up” stickers after adding some weight to the bottom of the box, if necessary, to keep it upright.
And if you can’t move your house plants…
Observe a cutting. Keep a cutting and try to re-grow your favorite botanicals at your new house if your plants are entrenched in the yard or are too large to transport.
Send them out. Your plants may be portable, but if you think they won’t make it, make plans to gift some of your healthy, happy plants to your friends and neighbors before you leave.
How do you transport a sizable potted plant a long way?
Your house plants can travel for up to three days without needing any care if you properly follow our moving-plant recommendations.
BEFORE YOUR MOVE
To prepare your plants for relocating so they can withstand changes in their environment without withering or breaking, follow these instructions:
- three weeks before the actual move. Plants should be repotted from clay pots into equivalent-sized, shatterproof plastic containers.
- two weeks before the actual move. With your thumb and forefinger, pinch back younger growth on larger plants while you remove dead leaves, branches, and blossoms with scissors or gardening shears. Plants that have been pruned will be more manageable and transportable. After your move, it will also produce gorgeous, bushy, healthy plants. Never cut down ferns or succulents (e.g., cactus, jade plants, aloe).
- one week before the actual move. Verify plants for parasites and insects. Apply pesticides with caution and according to label instructions. Have a plan for donating or disposing of any pesticides before relocating since they are on our list of prohibited products.
- two days before the actual move. Regularly water your plants, being careful not to overwater. In cold weather, too much water can cause plants to freeze, while in warm weather, it can encourage the growth of fungi.
MOVING DAY
Pack your plants the night before or the morning of your relocation to get ready. Following are some moving plant packing tips:
- Wrap. To stop branches from breaking, wrap big plants in tissue paper or an old bed sheet.
- Position. A box should fit each pot tightly at the bottom. Use standard moving boxes, such as dish packs, that are offered by your Atlas mover.
- Pack. If required, lay paper around the pot’s base in the box to keep it in place. To allow plants to breathe, poke holes in the box’s sides and loosely fasten the lid.
- Label. Mark the top and sides of the boxes using a sharpie. This will lessen the chance of their accidently being loaded onto the moving truck.
- Control. Ensure that the inside of your car is at a comfortable temperature. Your plants might suffer from extreme cold or heat.
ONCE YOU’RE HOME
It’s crucial to restore your plants to the state they were in at your former residence once you’ve settled into your new one. This is how:
- Unpack. Plants should be unpacked as soon as feasible. To avoid breaking, remove the plants through the bottom of the box.
- Place. Repot plants in containers that are the same size as the ones you had before moving.
- Stabilize. Plants should not be moved until they have acclimated.
- Heal. Give your plant a few days to recover if it experiences transplant shock as a result of your transfer. Follow the advice in “Common Household Plants and How to Care for Them” if your plant still seems unwell.
To avoid breaking leaves and branches, remove the plants through the bottom of the box.
Your plants will transfer successfully if you plan ahead and pay close attention. They’ll be prepared to thrive in their new home, just like you.
Can plants be moved large distances by movers?
Maintain the ideal temperature for plants. Plant transportation may not be a problem for some movers, but if you’re going a long way, things may change. Ask your movers what their procedure is for moving plants. Bring the plants in your car if they will fit if your movers won’t transport them.
How do you traverse the nation with a houseplant?
- bringing them along in your car
- flying alongside them
- delivering them
Additionally, how you pack depends on how you’ll be crossing state borders with your plants. Let’s determine which of these choices is best for you.
Put them in the car
This is the simplest and quickest way to carry plants, and you can take care of them while driving. This is usually the best option, provided that there is space in your car. To prevent them from being harmed by high temperatures, don’t forget to bring them inside when you stop over night.
Bring plants on a plane with you
Can plants be brought on board a plane? Yes! If you’re flying, you can either check your bags or carry them as long as you adhere to TSA regulations. Verify the size restrictions and packing requirements with your airline.
Ship live plants with a parcel service
All three companies—USPS, UPS, and FedEx—will ship plants, but they all operate under distinct rules. To ensure that your plant arrives quickly, use the quickest shipping mode and avoid shipping on weekends or during major holidays.
Protect live plants and cuttings
No matter which moving technique you use, start with a bug check and some water before packing.
Check for pests. Contact the local agriculture department office for an inspection and paperwork if your new state requires a certified inspection. Otherwise, be sure you are not relocating any animals by inspecting the soil and the plant.
Water it. Two or three days before relocating, water your plants. Although not drenched, the soil should be damp. Most plants can survive for 7 to 10 days without water, but it’s crucial to provide a drink a few days before packing to make sure the roots stay moist during transportation.
Shipping
If you need any packing advice, ask the shipping firm. Visit a neighborhood nursery if none are present. Usually, they may provide you advice on how to best safeguard your plant before shipping it. When packing it, take the weather into account as well. You might wish to insulate the cargo if it needs to travel through extremely cold temperatures, for instance.
Driving
Making ensuring your plant is safe while yet receiving enough air is crucial in this situation. Depending on whether it’s a potted plant or a cutting, use the appropriate technique:
How to move houseplants in pots:
Repot the plant into a plastic container with new, sterile soil a few weeks before you move. The original clay or ceramic pots should be packed with other delicate goods using our packing suggestions. next get the plastic pot ready for transport:
- To keep soil contained, place a plastic bag over the pot’s base and tie, collect, and tape it at the base of the plant.
- Prepare a box by thoroughly tape the bottom seams so that it can securely retain the pot. After that, put the plant inside.
- To keep the plant safe yet able to breathe, fill in any spare space around the container and plant with packing paper or newspaper.
- Make a few small air holes on the box’s sides to promote airflow.
- Keep the box upright in the car and mark it “Live Plant” and “Fragile.”
Arrangement of cuttings:
You can take a cutting from outdoor plants or plants that are too large to relocate (a stem or root piece that you can replant at the new place). This is how:
- Cut a section of the bloom or bush with healthy growth that is 3 to 6 inches long in the morning using a clean, sharp clipper.
- Wrapping the cutting end in wet paper towels and fastening it with rubber bands will keep it moist.
- Use a little plastic bag or a stem holder made of plastic (available at a nearby florist) to cover the end.
- Handle it delicately and like a bouquet.
Advice: To keep a cutting moist while in transit, place it in a tiny plastic container first before lightly wrapping it in plastic. Use the preceding instructions and the specifications from your shipping agency to pack the cutting.
How are huge potted plants moved?
Potted plants are a great method to highlight different areas of your landscape as well as the home’s and driveway’s architectural design. The scale of the plants increases, creating both assets and liabilities. Larger plants attract more attention and are more attractive to the eye. In addition, larger plants need larger pots with more soil, which adds significantly more weight and is more difficult to move. It’s important to learn how to move large potted plants safely so that you can continue to enjoy your landscape accents wherever you go.
Get an appliance dolly to rent. Utility dollies might be effective for medium-sized, heavy plants, but for large potted plants, you should rely on the nylon straps attached to the appliance dolly to hold the flowerpots in place and prevent them from slipping.
- Potted plants are a great method to highlight different areas of your landscape as well as the home’s and driveway’s architectural design.
- Utility dollies might be effective for medium-sized, heavy plants, but for large potted plants, you should rely on the nylon straps attached to the appliance dolly to hold the flowerpots in place and prevent them from slipping.
When transporting plants, put a transport blanket in the bed of your pickup truck to prevent scratches on the surface. You can use a comforter, an old thick blanket, or a moving blanket that is readily available in stores. You can walk the dolly up onto the truck bed after you’ve secured the ramp in place.
Use your water-filled spray bottle to spritz a little water on top of the plant soil after separating the newspaper sheets. In the flower containers, cover the moistened soil with newspaper. Additionally, mist some water over the newspaper. This keeps the paper from shifting by allowing it to adapt to the soil below. To stop soil from spilling when you are moving the plants, keep the newspaper on top of the soil.
- When transporting plants, put a transport blanket in the bed of your pickup truck to prevent scratches on the surface.
- To stop soil from spilling when you are moving the plants, keep the newspaper on top of the soil.
The potted plant should be loosely encased with containment netting. As you go, gently bend the stems and leaves upward. By weaving florist’s wiring through a few openings in the mesh and twisting it to hold one layer of netting to another, you may hold the netting in place. By carefully preparing the plants, less harm is done to the leaves and branches. Using a bungee board that you have wound around the pot, hold the bottom part of the netting in place.
Wrap the flower containers in bubble wrap. This helps to avoid excessive movement of the plants while driving as well as potential cracking of terracotta or porcelain pots. Simply wrap it around the pot’s exterior and secure it there with some packing tape.
- The potted plant should be loosely encased with containment netting.
- This helps to avoid excessive movement of the plants while driving as well as potential cracking of terracotta or porcelain pots.
Slide the appliance dolly’s blade section under the flower pot. Make sure to stay away from doing this in the area where the pot has visible damage. Move the dolly cautiously to the truck after fastening the nylon strap around the pot. Place the potted plant on the travel blanket and ascend the ramp. Up till all plants are loaded, keep doing this.
Drive carefully to where you’re going. Avoid using the motorway and choose to travel on secondary streets. As a result, it is able to maintain a moderate speed, which lessens the effect of the wind on the plants.
- Slide the appliance dolly’s blade section under the flower pot.
- Move the dolly cautiously to the truck after fastening the nylon strap around the pot.
Put your huge pots on a wheeled plant caddy. The caddy may hold up to 200 pounds, depending on its size and model. In the long run, this makes transplanting plants on flat surfaces much simpler.
Right before they need to be watered, move your plants. By doing this, you can move the pots with little effort.